The present invention relates generally to material sampling and more particularly concerns an apparatus for sampling material from a remote location. The invention will be specifically disclosed in connection with an apparatus for collecting radioactive waste inside a hopper and transferring that radioactive waste to a discharge location outside the hopper.
It is necessary to periodically sample and test liquid and solid radioactive waste to insure that the waste material will solidify properly when a solidifying agent is added. Due to the inherent dangers associated with handling radioactive waste materials, it is highly desirable to keep such materials in containers which are shielded from human beings. When the waste material is to be tested, it is often impractical to test the material inside of its container. Accordingly, it is common practice to remove a small quantity of the waste material for sampling purposes. When sampling radioactive waste, it is obviously important to minimize any radiation leaks which might arise from removing the sample from a shielded container. This task is often complicated by the need to transport the waste material from a location inside a shielded containment vessel to a location outside the vessel.
The present invention provides an apparatus for collecting and transferring a predetermined quantity of radioactive waste material from inside a hopper to a discharge station outside the hopper with a minimum number of components traveling from inside to outside the hopper.